Ban on junk food adverts for kids

A RECENT study shows simply banning junk food adverts before the 9pm watershed would reduce the number of overweight children by 120,000.

Researchers estimate the ban would also cut childhood obesity by 40,000 and save the UK £7.4billion in lost productivity.

The country’s 3.7million children would see 1.5 fewer commercials each day for food and drink high in fat, sugar, or salt.

Shockingly one in three children in England leaves primary school overweight, increasing their risk of cancer, heart disease, and type-2 diabetes substantially.

The government has vowed to halve childhood obesity by 2030 and is considering restrictions on pre-watershed junk food ads.

Now the University of Cambridge academics say a ban could make a “meaningful contribution” to children’s health.

Study leader Dr. Oliver Mytton said, “Our analysis shows that introducing a 9pm watershed on unhealthy TV food advertising can make a valuable contribution to protecting the future health of all children in the UK, and help level up the health of children from less affluent backgrounds.

“However, children now consume media from a range of sources, and increasingly from online and on-demand services, so in order to give all children the opportunity to grow up healthy it is important to ensure that this advertising doesn’t just move to the 9-10pm slot and to online services.”

Caroline Cerny, from the Obesity Health Alliance, said, “There is no doubt our day to day choices are influenced by the advertisements we are subjected to.

“That is why food companies spend millions on advertising every year – to make sure, their products are centre stage in our minds.